


Waiting By The Boundary

by mygreatwidesomewhere



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Lovers, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Not Beta Read, Sort Of, The Author Regrets Everything, at the start and every now and then, sorry mark, the goal is pain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24455251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mygreatwidesomewhere/pseuds/mygreatwidesomewhere
Summary: For as long as Mark could remember, it had been his mission to exorcise the evil spirits that preyed on the living. He carried hatred in his heart as he brought justice down upon them for their deeds.Donghyuck was different. He believed in purifying and saving these spirits that had been overcome by their anguish and fury. And in the same way, he had saved Mark.That was supposed to be it. The start of their life together that ended much too quickly. Now, The Boundary between life and death separates them.Still, the wait is worth it.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Waiting By The Boundary

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I didn't mention this but just to clarify, Mark and Donghyuck are 21 and 20 respectively in present day.

Forever. Such a vague word, unrealistic even. There is life and there is death. You are born into a family (whether it stays that way is another matter), shaped by your environment and meet new people as you grow older, some coming and going along the way. But all things come to an end. Mark knows this better than anyone else. He’s an exorcist, after all. He has literally and metaphorically come face-to-face with death too many times to count. Yes, spirits roam the Earth even after their mortal bodies cease to function but they, too, eventually cross The Boundary. They aren’t meant to stay and it’s Mark’s job to make sure of that. 

And yet, as he lays in bed, turning his head towards a still asleep Donghyuck, he thinks that he wants to believe in forever, if only to be able to live it out with him, to be able to spend every morning with this boy snugly curled into his side. Officially, and as recognized by all their friends, family and colleagues, their relationship falls under the title of ‘boyfriends’ and while Mark won’t argue with that, he finds that it simply isn’t sufficient to describe what they have between them. But then again, he can’t find the words either. What he  _ does _ know is that Donghyuck is the person who turned his life around and made him wish for a future for himself he had never considered back when all he had was anger and his obsessive sense of justice. What he  _ does _ know is that, no matter what, he wants Donghyuck with him in that future. Just the thought fills him so much joy that he drapes his free arm (the other one being held captive by Donghyuck’s head) over the younger’s body and pulls him as close as possible, wanting to indulge in the feeling of holding the boy in his arms. 

That seems to wake the boy up as Mark feels a hand grabbing at his back until it finds purchase on his shoulder, using it as an anchor to press their bodies even closer together. Mark can almost feel as much as hear it when Donghyuck mumbles, “It’s hot,” though he makes no move to separate himself from Mark, further burrowing into his chest. His response to Donghyuck, as it always seems to be these days, is to laugh, body shaking as the younger just whines at the movement disturbing his peaceful rest. He can feel Donghyuck’s pout, his soft lips pursed and tickling his collar bones and he only laughs harder. It’s because of Donghyuck that he can wake up this cheerful, this undeniably happy. Words can’t even begin to describe how grateful he is to have him in his life and he makes sure to convey it as he shifts and brings one of his hands up to stroke Donghyuck’s cheek, staring into those dark brown eyes before he leans in and presses a soft kiss onto his plump lips. Even then, he’s smiling and it’s not really a proper kiss but he can’t bring himself to care. He just enjoys the moment, the warmth and the laughter and Donghyuck complaining about morning breath. 

Donghyuck doesn’t live with him (not yet) but he might as well be what with the amount of time he spends in Mark’s home. He’s secured his place there by leaving extra pairs of clothes and toiletry around. Donghyuck is also the self-appointed pantry manager there which is reasonable considering he’s also the one in-charge of cooking because the last thing Mark wants disrupting their life together is him burning down his own kitchen. And Mark swears there’s a new cooking utensil or piece of machinery that finds its way there every week. And as the two of them somehow stumble their way into the bathroom, neither particularly willing to let go of the other, he lays his eyes on their matching toothbrushes placed side-by-side and thinks that he’s never been more content with his life. Warmth bubbles up from within him when Donghyuck silently drops his head onto Mark’s shoulder, drowsy and slightly leaning on him as they both brush their teeth. Neither of them saying a word and yet speaking volumes through their eyes that meet in the mirror in front of them, Mark’s scrunched up into crescents while Donghyuck just rolls his. Mark can already tell that Donghyuck is thinking about how he’s being stupid for being so giddy about such things this early in the morning. And yet, he’s smiling along with him, unable to hold back the small grin that spreads across his face and makes his cute dimples appear.  _ Cute _ , Mark thinks as overwhelming adoration washes over him. He never wants these days to end. He’d spend eternity just staring at Donghyuck if he could.

_ Too bad work always gets in the way _ , Mark inwardly groans as a bird made of blue light flies into the bathroom before turning back into a paper talisman - a familiar sent by the Exorcist Headquarters to signal the appearance of another evil spirit. The old Mark would have jumped at the chance to go out and destroy every single one of them and while his drive to protect the living has not changed, he’s found other things to live for, namely Donghyuck. Still, he’s dedicated to his duty and lives are on the line. There’s no time to waste. This is the reality of their life, they’ll always be needed in their line of work, to put themselves in danger and fight to protect. They’re used to this kind of thing. But what’s this feeling gnawing at him, telling him not to go, to hold onto Donghyuck even tighter and stay within the safe haven that is his,  _ their _ , home?

The two of them hurriedly get ready, changing into their battle attire and grabbing their weapons and talismans. There isn’t even time to grab breakfast, not that they can really think of food given the situation. Once both of them are fully prepared, Mark opens the door, about to rush out before a hand grabs his forearm, stopping him in his tracks. He turns to face Donghyuck who has a serious look in his face, eyes holding onto his own and he can’t look away. 

“Hey,” Donghyuck starts, “ We’ll be fine, just like always.” It seems that the younger had picked up on his worries, noticing the unusual turbulence of his emotions, like always. Just like that, the uncertainty clouding his mind dissipates, even if just for a while. Truly, there’s no one he trusts to have his back more than Donghyuck. They’re the greatest team there is, no evil spirit able to overcome them when they’re together. 

The procedure is simple. They’ll incapacitate the evil spirit, Donghyuck will purify it and then they’ll send it to cross The Boundary. And then they go home. 

At least, that’s how it’s supposed to go. 

☾

Everything just goes to shit. The spirit they’re up against is unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. There’s too much anger, too much despair fuelling it. It’s too strong, none of them can even get close. Purple fumes surround them, making it hard to breathe and see. They can’t locate the spirit but it can find them and they can’t do a thing to defend themselves as it strikes at them with its dark energy. They’ve called for reinforcements but they’re not sure if they’ll make it in time. The clock is ticking and they’re only growing weaker as their injuries get the better of them. 

Mark is frantically looking around even though he knows it’s futile. The attacks all seem like they come from nowhere but he doesn’t know what else to do. His companions are on their knees, heaving and bleeding out, some of them barely even conscious. And he doesn’t dwell on the thought but some of them might even be dead. 

Donghyuck is nowhere to be found. 

But he does what he can at the moment and summons another familiar, his fourth so far, each of them draining his energy more and more. A large, glimmering white fox that shines like the moon is called forth, floating just above him. Mark wills it to shoot a ball of energy forward, hoping that he’ll luck out and hit the spirit. The continuously thickening dark fog proves that luck is not on his side. And if that isn’t enough, he feels another slam to his back sending him flying, time stilling as his brain fails to fully process the impact and trajectory his body is taking. He can hardly tell when he lands on the ground, he’s hurting everywhere and barely has control over his body. He can’t even summon the energy to get up. But he knows he can’t stay down for long. He has to fight. He has to find Donghyuck. 

Once again, he wills the fox to move to his location, ordering it to lift his battered body up. With what’s left of his voice, he shouts into the darkness, “Hyuck! Where are you? Hyuck, answer me,  _ goddammit _ !”

His voice is hoarse and his throat hurts but he just needs to make sure Donghyuck is okay. He can’t rest until he sees him safe and sound. But no matter how many times he calls out, voice wearing thin, he’s just met with the sweeping sound of wind. There’s something moving behind the haze and he’s sure it’s not Donghyuck. He would have answered, he always answers. 

And next thing he knows, he’s free-falling again, his familiar having dissipated after taking a shot from the spirit. He’s not really sure if his bones can handle another slam but thankfully he doesn’t have to find out. He feels a warm blanket of mist wrap around his body and slow down his descent before gently placing him on the ground. 

In his peripheral vision, he sees sparks of light flying, like fireworks in the night sky, almost loud enough to make your ears burst but so, so beautiful. They grab your attention, make you unable to look away. The main star of the night. And amidst all that, stands Donghyuck. Mark could recognize that soft brown hair and absolutely terrible posture anywhere. They’re in the middle of a battle, fighting for their lives and yet what first comes to mind, aside from a wave of relief, is that Donghyuck is the most beautiful like this, in his element, determined to win (because he’s always been a competitive bastard) and moving with cunning only to burst in with his typical flair. He’s just so bright, in every sense of the word. Given his current state, he’s glad he’s being shielded from all the explosions though, Donghyuck likely having set up a barrier around him. All he can do is keep on watching, his body unable to move from its position. At this point, he’s not sure if the bright lights in front of him are because of the clashing magical energies or his own blurring, distorted vision. He’s fine though, now that he’s seen Donghyuck. Moreover, he’s winning.  _ Heh, I wouldn’t expect anything less _ , with that thought, his vision fades to black. 

☾

When Mark wakes, he’s glad that it’s to Donghyuck’s face, worried as he may look with his eyebrows knit together like that. The rays of the Sun that had been obscured by the dark smoke now shine on them, forming a bright halo on Donghyuck’s head. The boy looking down at him smiles as he lets out a breath of relief. “See? I told you we’d be fine,” he says with a pout like he tends to do when he’s trying to make a point, partially trying to cover up his own worry over the previously unconscious boy. 

Donghyuck is right, of course, he thinks as some other exorcists help to carry his weight and he’s able to take a good look at the surroundings that had cleared up. His friends are pretty beaten up but they’re definitely alive and breathing so he doesn’t worry too much as members of the medical team rush around grabbing supplies and patching them up. Getting hurt is part of the job but they always make it out alright in the end. 

However, as he’s carefully placed on a stretcher, he does wonder about what happened to the evil spirit so he turns to Donghyuck who puts his weapons and talismans down before taking out the necessary medical tools from a first aid kit. Without him even needing to open his mouth, he understands what Mark wants to ask and tilts his head towards the corner where a haggard, young man kneels with his head bowed down, arms and legs tightly bound by chains.  _ That’s weird _ , Mark thinks,  _ they’re normally free to go once they’ve been purified. _

“I managed to expel most of the dark energy but I’m having a hard time purifying the core of his spirit,” Donghyuck says as he ruffles his hair in frustration, “We’re going to send him to one of the elders to see if they can do anything about it.” Mark’s eyes widen in response because there’s never been a spirit that Donghyuck has failed to fully purify. It usually just took Donghyuck touching the spirit to complete the purification ritual. 

“But,” the younger continues as he starts applying ointment onto his wounds, “You don’t need to worry your pretty little head about it. All you need to do is focus on getting better.” He’s prodding at a particularly bad gash and every touch has Mark grimacing. It reminds him of another time, long ago when he looked upon Donghyuck with annoyance and distaste rather than the fondness he stares at him with now. 

“Are you going to fight me on this again?” Donghyuck lifts his eyebrow, daring him to do so as he references their shared past. But the current Mark knows better than to do that, Donghyuck always wins anyways. 

“Good,” Donghyuck states, satisfied when Mark shakes his head. The smile on his face disappears when he pours the final drops of the ointment onto the towel he’s holding, making way for an annoyed pout as he starts grumbling about needing to stock up on more medical supplies and how the medical team is just plain irresponsible for leaving it like this. He complains even more about how many injuries Mark sustained though. “We wouldn’t even be needing this much if you were more careful!” He chides Mark who just nods at his every word. He hangs onto his voice. It’s just about the only thing keeping him conscious in his tired state. Ironically, it’s usually the sound that best helps to lull him to sleep but this time, Mark feels compelled to stay awake and he’s not even sure why. He’s sure Donghyuck wouldn’t mind if he just took a nap, he’s even on a stretcher. But there’s discomfort in his stomach and alarms ringing in his head. The warning sounds are only amplified as Donghyuck starts walking away to get more supplies, his hair standing on end. His instincts are picking up on danger and he’s been in this business long enough to know they’re never wrong. 

When he sees the spirit lift his head, eyes glowing dark purple and smoke starting to billow once more, he realizes why.

“Hyuck!” He screams to warn the completely unarmed boy.

The smoke solidifies into a sharp spear and heads straight for the boy. He’s startled by Mark’s scream and turns. Right as the spear reaches him, the tip just barely grazing his face, he manages to repel the strike with magical armour, causing it to smash into tiny pieces and then turn into tiny flecks of purple dust. The armour dissipates as soon as the spear does, surrounding Donghyuck with purple and gold specks. Fortunately for him, he had placed a protection charm on his body. He’s glad it held out for that last attack.

And yet, unluckily for them, that brief moment of surprise is enough for the spirit to gather its energy once more. This time, it’s target is Mark.

They barely have time to process the situation before a barrage of daggers start heading for the severely injured boy. His magical energy depleted and his body unable to move as he wants, he can only close his eyes and wait for the strike to hit. 

It does. He feels a single dagger piece his side. His hand automatically moves to the wound and he can feel blood gushing out, spilling over his fingers and dripping down his body. It certainly doesn’t look any better than it feels when he glances downwards and opens his eyes to see a gradually growing red patch where the dagger is. If he was having a hard time staying conscious before, it’s even more difficult now as his vision swims. He tries to focus on the startling scarlet of the pool of blood in front of him, tracing the path it takes as the liquid flows through the crevices of the ground. But it’s strange. The blood doesn’t just seem to be coming from his own body, another red stream flowing from in front of him. It’s brightness of the red is distracting as it fills up his vision. He almost doesn’t process the image he sees when he cranes his neck upwards. 

Then, he hears a blood-curdling scream, pained and guttural to the point that it seems to come straight from the depths of hell. It’s harsh and throaty, grating in his ear, conveying complete and utter agony. And it doesn’t stop. It goes on and on and on in an endless cacophony and Mark just wants it all to stop. It takes him a while to realize that the screams are his own.

“Mark… how many times do I… have to tell you,” Donghyuck hacks out, struggling to speak, “To stop being so.. noisy in the… mornings?” It’s a miracle that Mark manages to hear him. He’s speaking so softly, almost whispering. Mark loves the sound of Donghyuck’s voice but he’s never hated anything more than how he sounds right now, than how he looks right now. 

Mark’s body gives in first and he lands on his knees. Donghyuck is wobbling towards him, every step looking more painful than the last. Mark can’t see the entry point of the wounds but he knows where all those daggers aimed at him went. He knows all of them have pierced Donghyuck instead. 

There’s a gaping hole where Donghyuck’s heart is at, the dagger having pierced right through the organ and hitting Mark’s side. It might as well have stabbed Mark’s heart too.

He wants to reach out, to help the struggling boy but his hands won’t move. His legs no longer have the strength to hold his own body weight. Donghyuck sways as he takes each step before finally stopping before Mark and collapsing on top of him. His cool skin surprises Mark more than the sudden weight on him. They’ve been in this position more times than he can count, huddling together and giggling under the blankets and Donghyuck has always been so warm to touch. But the Donghyuck leaning on him is cold, so so cold. He startles when the cold skin of Donghyuck’s fingers, light as a feather, gently land on his own, still covering the wound on his side.

“Sorry,” the younger croaks out, “Couldn’t stop… that one. Does it hurt?” The only sounds that come out of Mark are choked sobs. He shakes his head. It doesn’t hurt, he can’t feel it at all. The flesh wound on the side of his abdomen is numb to him, even as he bleeds profusely. It can’t compare to the overwhelming pain of his heart being torn apart. A part of him is happy about that, maybe he’ll be the same as Donghyuck then. Maybe they can still be together. 

“That’s good,” he says with a watery laugh, “Now stop crying, you big baby.” But he can’t. He already knows what’s going to happen. 

Donghyuck detaches himself from Mark slightly and runs his hands up his body to rest on his face, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. Mark reckons the sight of bloody handprints on his face is amusing to Donghyuck because he’s shaking slightly from laughter, a wide, fond smile gracing his face. Too bad, Mark’s vision is being distorted by the tears welling up in his eyes. His own hands lay motionless by his sides and he’s unable to wipe away the tears, if only to get a clear view of Donghyuck’s face as if the countless times he’s perused it still aren’t enough. 

The hands on Mark’s face are trembling, Donghyuck trying his best to hold them up while cupping Mark’s face gently, like a piece of glass that could shatter at any second. Even now, with blood pouring from his lips, he’s still trying to hold Mark together. 

Slowly, he inches forward until his forehead is pressed against Mark’s and they’re breaths mingle. And for the final time, their eyes meet and Donghyuck whispers, voice sounding like a distant song, “I haven’t forgotten our promise, my love. When the time comes… let’s cross The Boundary together.” 

With that, the last note of the song draws to a close and all that’s left is a heavy silence.

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiii, thank you so much for reading this ^-^ I’ve just started doing narrative writing recently so I still suck a lot but there’s no way about it, I just have to practice! So this is the result of that and it would mean a lot to me if you commented below on any ways you think I can improve on my writing, like maybe if the story in general was super boring/confusing or the pace and the scenes were all weird or if I’m simply really bad at conveying the image or emotions (I know it’s all of the above and more but specific pointers would be really helpful from your perspective as a reader). Once again, I appreciate you just giving this fic a try and I’ll continue to do my best to better myself as a writer.
> 
> P.S. I realize there are many diff kinds of exorcists for different kinds of faith etc. but I guess what I was trying to go for was those um anime exorcist types where they battle and stuff think something like Bleach, Ao no Exorcist, Tokyo Ravens yep those (also Hotel Del Luna). Also I’m sorry if I couldn’t do something more creative with this universe because I honestly started planning this with the idea of a ghost love story and I just wanted angst but it’s become um well whatever this mess is and I don’t even know if it’s angsty. 
> 
> P.S. My sister told me my writing is really forced so I’d be really happy if you could also give me advice on how to make it less so! 
> 
> If you have any questions, this is my [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/mygreatwidesomewhere)


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